Why You Should Seek Medical Attention Immediately After an Accident

Being involved in an accident that leaves you battling injuries can be a highly traumatic experience. You could be physically and emotionally affected, making each day difficult to get through and perhaps even leading you to delay getting the treatment you need. For your protection as well as to help your claim, there are numerous reasons why you should seek medical attention after accidents.

At Terry Bryant Accident & Injury Law, our team of personal injury lawyers can help you file a claim against the party that caused your losses. With years of experience assisting people throughout Texas who have suffered as a result of another person’s negligence or intentional actions, we can fight for the fair compensation you deserve.

Contact us now at (713) 973-8888 or toll-free 1 (800) 444-5000 to learn more about how we can help you with your personal injury claim. 

Why You Should Seek Medical Attention Immediately After an Accident

Getting the Help You Deserve

If you’re on the fence about whether to seek medical attention, Judge Bryant recommends that you do so right away. There are a number of reasons why this is vital.

Protecting Your Health

Our personal injury lawyers recommend getting an evaluation by a medical professional right after a serious crash because many injuries don’t present with obvious symptoms. Brain injuries — including concussions — can sometimes be asymptomatic until hours go by. The same thing can happen with whiplash, hairline fractures, and internal injuries.

The shock of an accident prompts the release of a significant amount of adrenaline into your system, and that could dull any feelings of pain. Although this is a survival mechanism that can help you get to safety after suffering injuries, it can also impact how rapidly you seek medical help. Some conditions require immediate treatment, including internal injuries, so delaying care could put your life at risk.

Reducing Injury Severity

The sooner you receive medical care, the better your chances are of reducing an injury’s severity. For example, if you have a hairline fracture but don’t realize it, you could move the impacted body part in a way that causes further breaks. This would mean more pain and a longer recovery time — not to mention more significant medical bills.

Documenting Your Injuries From the Start

Having as much evidence as possible about the injuries you suffered and the care you received can strengthen your case significantly. This is especially important if you suffered injuries that were severe but not necessarily obvious, such as internal damage. When you receive medical assistance from paramedics, they begin to create a record that provides a clear timeline.

Keep in mind that you’ll have to show that the other party’s negligence caused the injuries you sustained. Insurance companies and opposing attorneys will do everything they can to disprove that the defendant’s actions directly caused your injuries. Causation is one of the main elements of negligence, so if you delay treatment, you’re giving the defendant ammunition to prove that their conduct did not directly lead to your injuries. By getting medical care at the scene of the accident, you strengthen your claim significantly.

Establishing the Losses You Sustained

If you immediately settle a claim without fully understanding the injuries you suffered, you could lose your chance to receive fair compensation that addresses future medical needs.

Getting a medical assessment right after the accident gives you an idea of the treatment you will need, how long the recovery process will be, and whether you will be able to go back to work right away. These are all critical details that have a major effect on the value of your bodily injury claim.

We have been helping accident victims throughout Texas since 1985. When you choose our team, you can expect client-centered and experienced representation. 

What Factors Will Impact Your Claim’s Worth?

A number of factors will impact how much you’re able to claim in damages, beginning with the severity of your injuries. Severe injuries will mean more medical bills, the potential of needing future care, and the inability to go to work for days, weeks, or months. These are all losses that will be considered by your attorney as well as by the insurance companies. For example, an accident that results in a spinal cord injury will typically mean higher settlements or jury awards than one dealing with soft tissue injuries.

Another factor that will play a role in your claim’s worth is how the injury impacts your everyday life. If you won’t be able to live as you did before the accident, that will be taken into serious consideration as damages are addressed.

It’s also essential to have evidence that demonstrates that the defendant caused the injuries you sustained. This is where police reports, eyewitness statements, and medical records come in. Ensuring that you get an officer to the scene where the accident occurred and that you immediately get medical care helps to accomplish this.

You may also need expert witnesses to testify on your behalf. Oftentimes, these witnesses will rely on medical records to demonstrate how the injuries occurred and whether negligence played a role.

If you were partly responsible for your injuries, that may affect your settlement or jury award. Texas functions under comparative negligence laws, so you can still recover losses as long as you were not more than 50% at fault for the accident. Your percentage of liability, however, will be subtracted from your total winnings.

Your lawyer’s negotiating skills are yet another factor in the outcome of your case. This is one significant reason why you need to hire experienced legal counsel to assist you. Being able to aggressively represent you and deftly demonstrate that the defendant’s actions led to your injuries increases your chances of receiving the settlement that you need.

Additionally, your attorney must be ready to go to court, if needed. Although many cases settle before they go to trial, showing the defendant’s team that a settlement is not the only option can be a great bargaining chip.

Trusting Experienced Texas Injury Lawyers With Your Claim

Get Help From Terry Bryant Accident & Injury Law

After suffering injuries in an accident that occurred because of another party’s negligence or misconduct, one of the legal remedies you may have is to file a claim against them to recover compensation for your losses. To do this, you must be able to demonstrate that their actions directly led to your injuries and that these injuries are severe enough to require medical care.

One of the most important steps you can take to make that possible is to get immediate medical care. Medical treatment will ensure that you understand what injuries you’ve suffered while also giving you proof of the connection between the accident and your losses.

At Terry Bryant Accident & Injury Law, our team of Houston personal injury lawyers provides the experienced representation you deserve after suffering injuries in an accident. We can take care of the entire claims process — including any necessary litigation — so that you have a chance to receive the compensation you deserve.

Don’t try to tackle a personal injury claim on your own. Turn to the experienced team at Terry Bryant Accident & Injury Law. Call us right now at (713) 973-8888 or toll-free 1 (800) 444-5000 for a free and confidential consultation.